Windows Storage Spaces

Storage pools and spaces is a new storage technology, introduced in Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012, that allows the user to combine various (not always similar) hard drives into a kind of a RAID or compound volume. First, the hard drives are combined into a storage pool, then several storage spaces with striping (similar to RAID0), mirroring (similar to RAID1), and parity (similar to RAID5) can be created in that storage pool. You may read more about storage pools and spaces in the Microsoft's Storage Spaces: FAQ.

When drives from a storage pool are connected to a Windows computer, it automatically detects them and assembles storage spaces accordingly.

Storage spaces

Storage pools and spaces can be managed using the Storage Spaces item in the Control Panel.

Storage spaces

Restorer Ultimate automatically detects disks from storage pools and creates storage pools and spaces automatically. At the same time, Restorer Ultimate gives access to the parents of the storage spaces (hard drives and images).

Storage spaces in Restorer Ultimate

Restorer Ultimate shows the components of the selected storage space on its WSS Components tab. Right-click the storage space and select Setup WSS Components on the shortcut menu.

WSS Components tab

Restorer Ultimate shows broken storage spaces in pink.

Broken storage spaces in Restorer Ultimate

The WSS Components tab also allows you to manually disconnect or connect the components, for example, if they are such damaged that Restorer Ultimate cannot recognize them as parts of a broken storage space. Select the object from the drop-down box and click the Connect button. Restorer Ultimate displays the objects it recognizes as the components of the storage space in blue.

Add missing disk

You may immediately switch to the storage space configuration that Restorer Ultimate believes most probable by clicking the Reassemble button.